Commonwealth Technology
Category:Aegan Commonwealth Communications 3-Mesh Data Storage Crystal 3-Mesh Data Storage Crystals use memristors to store information in a secure, solid-state form. Data is stored in a 3-Dimensional Grid Structure, utilizing space very effectively. Typical personal storage devices are a sphere in diameter and can store up to 250 bits of information. Industrial and military data meshes are typically cubes on a side and can store 2100 bits. Fiber-Optic Direct Line Communications Fiber-optics have become the standard for communications in any environment where direct linkage between systems is possible. The high speed of fiber-optic transmissions enables Commonwealth ships to operate at internal latencies under . Connections on Commonwealth warships are commonly quadruple-redundant and encrypted. Quantum Computing Quantum computing harnesses the properties of quantum mechanics to dramatically increase the scale of computing operations. As such, it is used in most Commonwealth civilian and military systems. Quantum computing made possible the development of machine intelligence in the Commonwealth, and facilitates their complex shipboard systems. Trivector Directed-Light Communications Trivector Directed-Light Communications (3DL) make use of three identical laser beams to transmit information between ships, drones, and missiles in a combat environment. The use of three beams compensates for data loss due to interference, and the use of lasers significantly reduces the possibility of signal interception. Due to the need to maintain tracking locks, this type of communications is ineffective at distances greater than . Ecological Machine Intelligence Composite Sensor Network In a typical battle situation, Commonwealth warships act to minimize their electromagnetic footprint by distributing active sensor signals over a large area. Composite sensor networks include four classes of actors: active sensor drones, passive sensor drones, decoy drones, and the capital ship deploying the network. Active Drones project electromagnetic sensor signals and record signal returns. This data is then relayed back to the capital ship. Passive Drones collect data on electromagnetic, magnetic, and gravitational fields. This data is also relayed to the capital ship. Decoy Drones project false sensor signals, communications traffic, and deploy decoy munitions against fighters and missiles. The entire purpose of the decoy drone is to increase the strain on enemy machine intelligences. The Capital Ship integrates the data from the drones as well as its own passive sensor readings to generate a model of the battle. Because of the latencies involved in the modeling, it is often composed heavily of projected locations of enemy craft. Synchronous MI Management Materials Salium Salium is a critical component in high-grade Commonwealth military technology. The substance allows Null-Point energy to be produced at far higher rates than a standard NPEC. Salium will not degrade at all below a certain power threshold, meaning that Commonwealth warships operating at slightly reduced power levels never need to refuel. Medical Full-Body Scanner Medical Nanotechnology Power Null-Point Reactor Trisubstant Null-Point Energy Cell Transportation Momentum Drive The momentum drive enables Commonwealth ships to accelerate without using material fuel, improving the security of ships by locating their engines within the vessel rather than on its outside. The drive directly alters the kinetic energy of the ship, causing no inertial effects on the ship or its crew while allowing significant finesse with respect to flight patterns. Civilian vessels generally have a maximum acceleration capability of , whereas military vessels can accelerate in excess of , though this can cause significant time dilation effects on the ship and crew. Slipstream Drive The slipstream drive is the piece of technology that has given the Commonwealth such power over its neighbors. After its discovery, interstellar travel became quite simple. In order to activate the drive, a ship must locate a slipstream particle in deep space. These particles exist at locations where the slipstream is significantly saturated, conveniently marking points where it is safe to enter slipstream. The slipstream particle must then be accelerated to .5c (by the ship's momentum modulation array) and brought into contact with the ship's primary slipstream rudder. Once the slipstream particle is released from the momentum modulation array, it will yank the ship into slipstream. Once in slipstream, the ship's slipstream rudders will activate, allowing slipstream gravity to operate on the ship. The ship will then be drawn along the slipstream links at incredible speeds until it intercepts another slipstream particle, returning it to normal space. Because slipstream is only partially linked to normal space, travel times within slipstream are not necessarily linked to normal space distances. Many factors come into play with regards to slipstream travel, and because the factors are determined largely by conditions in normal space (which cannot be reliably ascertained from slipstream) slipstream is far more easily navigated by organic rather than machine intelligences. It is not clearly known why this is true, but the experimental data confirms that organic pilots are over 12 times more likely to reach their intended destinations than machine pilots. Weapons Antiproton Directed Packet Weapons The basic premise of an antiproton directed packet weapon is to punch holes in enemy craft or missiles by causing a matter/antimatter reaction on contact. Typical AP munitions are about -diamter spheres. Microdrone Anti-Personnel Arms Null-Point Tactical Munitions Of all of the armaments developed by the Commonwealth, Null-Point Munitions are the most dangerous and consequentially the most well-guarded. Null-Point Munitions work by activating a Null-Point reactor and using its output to generate massive quantities of antiprotons and protons. Once the missile's targeting system detects that it is within of the target, it releases the magnetic containment around the proton and antiproton tanks, creating a massive explosion. Due to their considerable destructive potential, Null-Point Munitions are only carried aboard Ascendance-class heavy cruisers, and can only be deployed with the authorization of the eight commanding officers. Null-Point Munitions also contain failsafes that cause to missiles to destroy themselves with a low-yield explosion if they are compromised. Tactical Staff Weapon Other Momentum Modulation Array The Momentum Modulation Array is a standard component of almost all ships operating in Commonwealth space. It is able to directly interface with the kinetic energy of any object, increasing or decreasing its velocity at will. The array is commonly used for reactionless propulsion and internal gravity simulation. Early in the array's history, Commonwealth military leaders considered its use for defense against incoming projectiles, but it was ultimately found to be too hard to establish targeting lock on projectiles with such high velocities. Commonwealth warships are typically fitted with many separate MMA's in order to manage their different assets. Civilian craft usually have one primary array and one backup. Work in Progress